FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2486, 16 June 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

The Way They do it in America, —On the bottom lands of the Oconee River, near Guinsville, Georgia, on the estate of Mrs J. M, O'Nlel, there is a thrifty apple orchard of GOO aures planted exclusively with one variety, the Shookley. The entire orop is sold for tho manufacture of Applo brandy. Somo distilling establishments in tho vicinity use 20,000 bushels of apples during the season, Ensilaue. —The enormous quantities of ensilage corn which can be grown to the acre, and the cheapness with which it can be put into the silo, mako it a commendable fortification against summer droughts (said the United States Dairyman). Those dairymen and stockmen who had silos during tho past summer could laugh at the drought, ns far as it affected tho thrift of their animals. Points in Cbeajj Setting. —In arranging for setting milk, says Professor

Arnold, the following points should be kept in view:—■!. Cream rises faster when tho temperature of the milk is falling. 2. The faster the temperature falls the more rapidly the cream rises, 3. The more rapidly the cream rises tho more complete will be the exhaustion of cream from the milk. Advantages of Soiling. —Professor W. A. Henry, of the Wisconsin Station, last summer kept six cows—three by pasturing and three by soilng, i.e., etall feeding—having the quality of the two herds as nearly equal as possible. Tho result was a product of 1779 lb, of milk from, one acre of pasture, produoing S2 lb. of butter, while ono aero of soiling orops gave him -1752 lb, of milk, which made 190 lb. of butterPackisg Peaks.—The French, who do a bigger export trade in pears than any other nation, cover the inside of the boxes with spongy paper or dry moss, which absorbs the raoisturo. The pears are wrapped singly in soft paper and placed in layers in the boxes ; the largest and least mature in the bottom and all interstices are filled with the dry moss. Packed in this way they will keep a month or more. They must not touch each other, nor should thev be allowed to shako loose in the box. If the work is properly done the decay of one will not harm the others. Mulberry Treks and the Codmn Moth.—A correspondent in tho Adelaide Observer writes :—Seeing that the Codlin moth is making ravages among the apples, it may bo interesting to fruit growers to learn that fruit trees planted in close proximity to white mulberry trees will not be attacked by caterpillars. Dr. Robert Flaaß in his work " Silk Culture in Germany " states this a3 an authenticated fact, and as one of the inducements for the German farmers to plant the mulberry trees.

Charcoal for Cows.—The Guernsey Breeder says softwood charcoal, especially

willow, ought always lo be kept iu the cow-stable. If a cow does not look bright give a teacupful in her bran, or other feed, and wet up. If her breath is bad, her horns hot and her nose dry, she is dyspeptic aud feverish. Give her charcoal. If bbe has hollow horn, sure and no mistake, give charcoal, half a toaspoonful at each meal, for three or four days. Treat wolf in the tail same way. The wolf cannot stand nbareoal. It is an excellent thing to give charcoal all around once a week. It is the best regulator of stomach and bowels known.

Melons as Fkkd for Stock.—The melon has been frequently recommended •iH food for cattle, coming , in, as it does, in the end of suraraer and beginning? of autumn, when the weather ia the driest aud fuod the most scarce, it is of exceedingly «reat value, furnishing both food and drink. It is, notwithstanding these admirable qualities, but rarely μ-rown for the purpoßi , . The experiment has, however, been tried by a vigneron in the Bet Bet district, whose land is excellently adapted for the growth of the melon, which produced an abundant crop, the yield amounting; to several tons to the acre. When the melons are ripe thoy are cut into three or four pieces, and both sheep aud cattle devour them ea<rerly, and are well sustained by them in the absence of other food.

Sharks as Manure.—Sharks must be plentiful around Tasmania. It ia said that the fruit growers use them largely as manure for their trees. Orchards dressed with shark—clone by merely burying a fish or half a fish if large, at the foot of each tree—are free from fire blight; and young trees so dressed at the time of sotting out in three years, attain the size of trees of five or six as compared with those fixed with other manure. Half an acre of what was hungry land—a gritty loam overlaid with ironstone pebbles, and which grew nothiug but prickly scrub naturally—was converted by shark manure into somewhat wonderful. The owner wished to extend a small orchard, and broke the land up. With his boys he went out and caught a few loads of sharks, and buried them a foot deep. Later the ground was turned up again and potatoes planted. The yield was 20 tons of marketable potatoes from that half acre. Shark catchers with a (rood boat frequently earu £50 a month, being able to catch and deliver an average of a ton a day, for which they easily get £2 a day.

Tins Fok Phkskrvijjg Purposes.— An ingenious improvement in tho manufacture of tin cans for preserving , food is being introduced, the plan consisting simply of so forming- the lid that it is merely pressed on and the can is hermetically sealed, so that no internal pressure can remove the lid. Water boiled in it tin thus closed has failed to open it oft, although the steam pressure has burst the can itself. A penny piece, however, used as a lever by being , placed under a rim formed around the top of the cover, with the shoulder of the can as a fulcrum, raises the lid with a remarkably small expenditure of power. The principle involved in the device is that of tho wedge and lever. The neck of the tin on which the lid fits is formed at a very slight angle from the vertical, aid tho rim of the lid is made with a corresponding , angle, no solder being used to form the joint. By means of this arrangement, therefore, the opening , of the can is rendered a remarkably oleau, quiok and simple operation, contrasting greatly with the inconvenient method of opening now in vogue.

Fungus on Apim.es.—Mr Y. S. Crawford, Government Entomologist of South Australia, in the course of a lecture on the apple crab and other disease of fruit trees, explained the nature of fungoid growths in general, aud stated that the danger of their spreading far and wide lay in the fact that the seeds or spores were so very small, and suspended in the air, might be sent long distances. Given a moist climate, the spores make roots on the leaves and on young apples, and form small stems, which again are headed by the frutifications or spores. The apples then alter their appearance, shrink on the side which is attacked by the fungus, and have little value. To kill the spores that may have settled on the leaves and young fruit the late Sir Robert Ros3 had used the spray producer charged with a weak solution of sulphate of iron, via., about 2oz. to 3 gallons of water. Two-thirds of his crop of apples were thus saved. Probably a stronger solutiou may be used before the budding of the trees. In winter he recommends the use of sulphate of copper or bluestone, perhaps loz. to 2 gallons of water. The tree aud underneath it should be sprayed after the fallen leaves have boon burned, or given ft thorough soaking, Experiments would show whether this solution is ttrong , enough, OMium having , destroyed most of the jrrapoa, Mr Crawford recommended the use of sulphur dusted by means of a bran bag before the disease makes its appearance, aud once or twice later on. Ths disease of the apricots is not of the same character as that of tho apple. Almends also are attacked by tho .ihothole fungus, as he has named it, and he recommended the throwing- of quicklime over the trees, and the application of a weak solution of carbolic acid on the first appearanoe of the scab. The strength of the eolution used by himself has been loa. of oarbolio aoid to 620z. of water. This injured the leaves, but destroyed the fungus and saved the fruit. Sulphate of iron might have tho same effect. The proper time to apply this would be as soon hb the apricots form.